Forgetting the Moon
by Glaring
Summary: Summary: Fifteen years after the creation of Team 7, the world is in ruin. The Five Great Shinobi countries have fallen, the Ten Tails runs rampant, and Naruto Uzumaki is dead. In a last ditch effort to change their fate, Sasuke is sent back in time to save his counterpart and their friends from the path to utter annihilation. (Time Travel AU)


**Summary: Sasuke, Itachi and Obito attempt a suicide mission to travel back in time.**

**Word count (for this chapter): 4,827**

**Warnings for this chapter: Langauge, shinobi battles, character death, Sasuke feels, Madara is an asshole, Team 7 antics.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it's characters or anything associated with it.**

**A/N: I've been wanting to do a time travel fic since forever so here it is. Keep in mind that this first chapter is very action-y, and has a bit of an info dump but in later chapters it will focus more on relationships. Please review if you feel at all entitled. Always open to constructive criticism but...no flames please.**

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><p>Somewhere in the vast, endlessly complicated and cruel expanse of the universe, somewhere among a scarred and barren planet, a disgraced shinobi was enjoying the last few hours of his life.<p>

Well, as much as a pessimistic sociopath could enjoy something as mundane as a human life of course.

There had always been something ludicrous about attempting to enjoy what very well could be the last moments of one's existence. Sasuke preferred to approach the subject of his impending demise with logic, not sentiment. He would much rather devote his mental energy to finding any possible way of preserving his life rather than reminiscing about it.

Besides, there were very few things that Sasuke could say he 'enjoyed' in this world. The surface of his planet had been reduced to nothing more than sand and dust, constantly blowing about in the wind that occupied the land absence of it's moon. The shinboi villages were long since obliterated, the human race scattered and driven into near extinction.

The few that remained only did so because they possessed something that others did not, which helped them to survive. For Sasuke, it was the ability to fly. Yes, everyone's favorite Uchiha had wings. Big, fluffy, feathery, black wings. But ask anyone who knew him personally, and they'd tell you they knew damn well that they weren't angel wings. If anything, Sasuke was rather considered a demon spawn than an avenging angel amongst the survivors.

Sasuke wasn't really sure when the emergence of his wings had happened. They simply appeared on his back not long after Naruto died. Since then he'd considered them nothing more than a mark of shame for the role he'd played in his best friend's death. It was his fault after all. He'd stabbed him through the heart himself. Oh the delusions of grandeur he'd entertained for so long. Sasuke was man enough to admit that, at least.

The world pretty much went to shit after Naruto died. Sasuke had completely overestimated his ability to keep the Ten Tails and Madara and bay, and once again, his friends would pay the price for it.

So yes, Sasuke could say with complete confidence that hated the world. Loathed it with all his being. Which coincidentally, made his current predicament all the more ironic. After all, why try and save something you hate?

Because he's a sentimental dumbass, that's why.

And he had pretty much reached the point where the guilt of his mistakes would kill him if he didn't. Contrary to popular belief, Sasuke did feel a great deal remorse for his actions. He just did a better job of hiding it than most.

Sasuke mentally slapped himself at the thought. So much for not reminiscing. God, he was such a sap. The shinobi shook himself roughly and pumped his wings faster towards his destination. Upon reaching the end of the valley, he dropped into a dive and glided down below the crumbling remains of the Hokage Monument, gracefully folding his wings as he landed and letting them drag behind like a cape. Obito and Itachi stood on nearby outcrop, their backs turned to the newcomer in a way that suggested a rather familial trust among the trio. It was an unlikely alliance, cultivated through many years of fighting a common enemy, one that Sasuke treasured deeply as it was quite honestly the only thing he had left in this world.

His brother turned to greet him as he approached, cloak whipping about in the wind. Since his second subsequent resurrection at the hands of Kabuto, Itachi Uchiha had changed a great deal. The lines in his face were more pronounced, his eyes older and wiser. Perhaps it was due to his unwillingness to have returned to the land of living, in a world where the horrors of the war he had so faithfully fought against had become a reality. Nevertheless, as much as Sasuke wished he could return his brother to eternal rest, Itachi still had an unfortunate mission to take part in from beyond the grave.

His elder brother always had a knack for sticking his nose where it didn't belong, a habit that had resulted in him unwittingly stumbling upon something that he probably wished he didn't. It was the knowledge of an ancient technique supposedly created by some senile old man from the Land of Iron: The Space Time Ninjitsu.

A nearly impossible, extremely illogical shot at fixing things, but what other options did they have at this point? There were simply so many things that could go wrong. They could potentially be ripped apart in the Void. And there was no guarantee if they would end up in the right time. Or the right universe. The whole concept was way out of Sasuke's field of understanding.

The elder Uchiha gave his brother a knowing look, and Sasuke flinched under the scrutiny of his gaze. His brother had developed this annoying habit of looking at him with _expectations_, expectations that Sasuke knew himself to be incapable of achieving.

"How long would you expect until our guest arrives?" Itachi asked him quietly.

Sasuke frowned, recalling the details of his scouting trip. "He's off ransacking some refugee camp a few miles north of here. It shouldn't be too hard to get his attention."

"I would hope so," Obito huffed, coming to stand beside him. "Given that we've only got one shot at this working."

Sasuke nodded grimly, accepting the task ahead of them. Since falling in league with his newly resurrected brother and Obito, the three had spent at least a year just _constructing_ the damn seal, before having to wait another year for the right alignment of the planets (Some chakra convergence shit that only Itachi seemed to understand), but now they finally ready go through with their plan.

If it weren't for one small, _teeny_ little detail.

This kind of space-time ninjutsu required a ridiculous amount of chakra to work. Something that only someone with the chakra reserves of a tailed beast could provide. Sasuke is fairly certain that Naruto and Kurama could have fueled it, _if _they were still alive.

Which really only left them with one, rather unfortunate option.

There was no doubt that the Ten Tails had the power, it was going about harnessing that power that would be the hard part. But nevertheless, Obito and Sasuke had a plan. A ridiculously stupid, suicidal plan, but the hell. He was almost positive at this point that the two of them had become masochists anyway.

The three had spent the past year working on a trap to restrain the beast (at least temporarily), and hidden it in the ruins of the Hidden Leaf, a place Madara tended to avoid for reasons unknown.

It was probably one of the most ridiculous missions he'd ever participated in, minus the one's involving Naruto. Despite himself, Sasuke had decided long ago that it would be a small cost to remedy his mistakes. This wasn't the life he was meant to live. And he was determined to fix it dammit, regardless of the circumstances.

Sasuke turned to consider his comrades, as they looked out upon the last sunset of their time. If things went to plan, Sasuke and Obito would be the only ones making the trip. Itachi wasn't meant for this journey. Hell, he shouldn't even be alive right now considering. He'd long since earned his rest.

"Stop thinking so much, little brother. You know how that overtaxes your brain." Itachi rolled his eyes, as though sensing his distress. Obito however, looked concerned.

"If you've got something on your mind, say it. We won't have the benefit of being distracted later."

Sasuke bowed his head in resignation, dark hair falling into his eyes as he did so. "It's just…What will happen to us in the other timeline? Surely there can't be two of me running around at the same time. Or of you for that matter. Can you imagine?"

Obito just shrugged. "We've been over the theory. Our timelines may split but in the end we're still the same people. We may exist in the same time as our counterparts, separate minds, separate bodies, but still the same soul. Just at different stages." He paused for a moment, considering the unspoken question between them. "As to what happens when our timelines meet, I do not know. Perhaps when our time is up, we will cease to exist…and become nothing more than a memory. If all goes to plan, we'll have at least fifteen years before we have to worry about that though."

Sasuke nodded solemnly, pulling off the red glove on his left hand that stretched all the way to his elbow. The arm he had lost in his final fight with Naruto had been regrown of the same substance of his wings: deep blue scales that radiated dark energy. Similarly, his hand was distinctly clawed, thus the only part of either limb that wasn't completely covered in seals. He only removed the glove in times of great distress, to remind himself of his true nature. He was the reincarnation of Indra Uchiha: A monster, a traitor who would forever be forced to bear the mark of shame for the part he'd played in the death of his friends.

"Hey," Obito clasped a hand on his comrade's scaled forearm, taking note of his torment. The masked shinobi would never be considered a compassionate person, but still he was mindful enough to understand the risk of a teammate being distracted in battle. For that, and that alone, he was willing to extend an offer of comfort. "It'll all be okay, I promise. One we get to the other timeline, I'll still be a psychopath and you'll still be an asshole. Just like old times."

Sasuke glared at him in a vain attempt at intimidation, but the elder Uchiha just waved him off with a laugh. He was used to it by now. "No matter the outcome…just know I'll be with you all the way." He slapped his comrade on the arm gently before stepping away. "You're not gonna go through this alone, Sasuke. Not this time."

The sincerity of the statement was enough to derail his train of thought. War did strange things to people, it seemed.

Itachi rolled his eyes at their antics. "Enough of the heart felt confessions you two, we've only got a small window of time to pull this off, and I am not sticking around for another year of your crap. Go capture yourself a Kyuubi so I can get rid of this resurrection seal and die already."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him and gave the barest hint of a smile. "You know you'll still be alive in the other timeline, right?"

Itachi stared at the now dark skyline with a blank expression that was oddly terrifying. "You know what I meant. Now go do your job before I kick your ass myself."

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><p>Ten minutes later and not another mile away, Sasuke pushed all remaining chakra to his legs in a desperate attempt to avoid the giant fire ball aimed for his head. He felt the intense heat singe the end of his wings as it passed before crashing rather painfully into the dust covered terrain.<p>

Madara's metallic laughter sounded not far behind. "I was wondering when you'd finally decide to come out of hiding, Uchiha. To be honest, it's been getting pretty boring without you around to play with." The corrupted Ten Tail's jinchuriki moved like a shadow, instantly materializing in front of his adversary. "You're so much more _interesting _than anything this world has to offer. It's a shame you had to go gain a conscious and try and play the hero." He grinned, showing many rows of sharpened teeth while simultaneously shoving Sasuke's face further into the dirt with the end of his heel. "I would have thought you'd learned your lesson by now. You know, considering your little incident with Naruto Uzumaki and all."

Sasuke stiffened under his weight, and swatted at him with his unrestrained arm in a vain attempt to free himself. Madara laughed at his torment and released him before stepping away. The man displayed no caution around the younger Uchiha, opting instead to treat him as nothing more than an ant for him to torture with a sadistic pleasure.

Despite himself, Sasuke smirked at him, much to the ire of his foe. As it turned out, nothing could infuriate the man more than someone who didn't quiver in fear at the sight of him. Which in most cases he would have…further evidence to the theory that he was indeed, a masochist.

"Foolish shinobi." Madara growled, quickly growing tired of toying with him. As if on cue, a massive amount of dark chakra began to collect in his palm. "You're arrogance will be your undoing. And I will be there to watch you suffer for it."

Sasuke suddenly felt the dreaded change in atmosphere that preceded the creation of a tailed beast ball. Furtively he ran a finger up his forearm, feeling for the communication seal inked into his skin there.

**I could use your help right about now if you're up for it.**

Almost as soon as the thought ran through his mind, Obito exploded into existence beside him, latching on to his comrade and using Kamui to teleport them out of immediate danger. They landed roughly in the dust of Konoha just as the explosion of Madara's attack sent shock waves from a mile away. A furious roar quickly followed behind, sending the two shinobi scrambling back to their feet to join Itachi in prepping the trap.

"How long do we have? Madara's practically on our doorstep."

"I'll be able to activate it as soon as he steps over the boundary." Itachi motioned to the faintly glowing barrier at the edge of the village. "The barrier will act like a magnet, made to absorb the Ten Tail's chakra directly into the seal at it's epicenter. As long as he doesn't go near _that._" He flicked a finger to the space-time seal encompassed in the center of the village. "We shouldn't have a problem."

Sasuke frowned, sensing a flaw in their tedious plan. "What about Madara's chakra? Does that mean his won't be affected?"

Itachi nodded grimly in conformation. "Not to mention he can drain your chakra too if you're not careful. I know it's not ideal but it's the only chance we've got at pulling this off."

"It's fine." Obito cut in. "We'll manage."

"See to it that you do." Itachi dismissed them and Sasuke nodded to comrade before taking off to meet yet again with their adversary. Sasuke concentrated for a brief moment, activating his magneko sharingan in unison with Obito's.

"You ready?" the latter asked, removing his cloak and letting it blow away in the wind.

Sasuke opened his eyes, pupils spinning dangerously. "Always."

Not a moment later, Madara exploded from the cloud of dust providing their cover. He had reverted back to a more bestial form in his pursuit, rending their chances of survival now next to impossible. The jinchuriki was done toying with them: he aimed to kill.

"You think you can hide from me?" He roared, flicking through complex hand signs with alarming speeds. "You will burn."

He snarled, bounding forward with blood lust in his eyes, fingers flying through a justu that exploded in an abundance of fire. But Sasuke is already moving, wings propelling him out of range before whipping around to combat his attack.

"Blaze Release: Amatasuru!"

Black flames met red in a violent explosion of intense heat that sent cinders and ash raining down upon the valley. Madara was unsurprisingly quick to recover, cloaking himself in a layer of protective chakra that immediately began to drain the life out of everything in it's reach. In an act of unparalleled responsiveness, Obito began to counter the effect using the chakra chains he had stealthily set up while Madara was distracted. The Uchiha roared in frustration, the sheer energy of such sending them both crashing back to the ground.

With startling accuracy, Madara severed Obito's chains with ease before rounding on the two shinobi to demonstrate the full affect of his chakra draining ability. Had there been any life left to smother out, Sasuke is certain that this jutsu would have done it. As if to accent this fact, Madara clenched his fist's, bringing the other two Uchiha to their knees, the loss of their chakra leaving them nearly powerless.

The jinchuriki smirked in satisfaction, drawing his blade and advancing on Sasuke before the other man even had a chance to blink. The seals on his arms glowed in warning as he raised his blade to bring it down on Sasuke's vulnerable form. Then, before either man had a chance to react, Obito was in front of him with his back facing Madara, taking the full force of the fatal blow.

Sasuke felt his comrade's blood splatter across his face as the tip of Madara's sword plunged straight through him. Obito didn't cry out, he didn't even stutter. His body curly around the impact of the blow, eyes glazing over as he used the last of his strength reach out to his comrade. Sasuke felt a brief moment of his human emotion rise up before being washed away by the sudden presence of his corrupted ancestor, rising deep from within him. His vision began to bleed red in his state of fury and he felt Indra's voice echo from his consciousness.

**Kill him. **It snarled, voice every bit as ominous and dark as Madara's.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, briefly letting his instincts take over as he felt the last remnants of energy stored in his wings and in his corrupted limb come alive with his rage. Madara barely had a moment to remove his sword before Sasuke was on him, clawed hand wrapped firmly around his neck, wings propelling them the last few hundred feet to send them spiraling into Itachi's barrier.

The jinchuriki screeched in agony as he passed into the boundary, instantly feeling the effects of the Ten Tail's chakra being extracted and used to ignite the seal at the center of the village.

"Sasuke!" Itachi raced to his side the minute the barrier lit up. "Where's Obito-" His voice faltered seeing the blood splattered across his brother's face and the dangerous expression glowering from beneath it. "Dammit." Itachi snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose through the realization.

Their grief was quickly interrupted a violent roar and the two shinobi turned to see Madara ripping himself away from the Ten Tails.

Itachi all but pushed his brother towards the seal in resignation. "The seal is ready. You need to go, _now_."

"But what about-"

"I'll deal with Madara." Itachi assured him before turning away without so much as a goodbye. "Good luck little brother."

Sasuke watched him go with conflicting emotions, but inside he knew that this was how it was meant to be. Itachi would perish here with the rest of their timeline. And Sasuke would be damned if he left Obito die in vain for not going through on their promise.

With a new determination, Sasuke dragged himself into the center of the seal, built upon what he knew to be the rubble of the Leaf's Hokage residence. Despite his haste, Sasuke allowed himself one last glance at the fate of the war torn world he'd created: Itachi's retreating form, Obito's body bleeding out in the dust, the Ten Tails struggling against it's restraints and Madara's ear splitting screams. Sasuke closed his eyes to the sights and sounds of his time, hands flicking through a series hand seals before letting himself fade away.

Itachi cracked a smile as the light of the seal illuminated in the night and then disappeared, leaving behind nothing but dust. Slowly, he turned back to regard Madara's mutilated body as it finally detached itself from the Ten Tails. It was charred much in the same way that Naruto's had been after too much exposure to the Kyuubi's chakra. However, if he felt any pain from his wounds Madara payed them no mind. His only focus was on Itachi.

The elder Uchiha snarled, advancing on him with all the effort he could muster. "You will live to regret your hand in this, Itachi."

Itachi just smirked, resigning himself to his fate. "No, I don't think I will actually. And neither will you."

With practiced ease, Itachi snapped his fingers and the barrier shattered, instantly releasing the Ten Tails from it's restraints. The beast immediately rounded on it's previous master, much to Itachi's chagrin. With a feral growl the gargantuan beast wrapped it's tails around Madara, consuming him in it's entirety before whipping around to approach the last remaining Uchiha.

"Don't worry, I plan on dying today, just not like that." Itachi smiled, closing his eyes as the Ten Tails advanced on him. Tentatively, he plunged a kunai into the resurrection seal inked into his skin, feeling death reclaim him like a long lost friend.

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><p><strong>Academy Graduation Day, Konoha<strong>

"There is no way in _hell_, I am being on a team with dead last_._"_  
><em>

"Speak for yourself, teme!"

"Fuck off, loser."

"Make me, dumbass."

Sarutobi sighed, rubbing his temples as he felt a monumental headache come on. It had been a long day. One of those days when he cursed Minato for leaving him with a village to run and a certain Naruto Uzumaki to take care of. As much as he'd wanted the kid to graduate from the academy, being a ninja meant working as a team. Something that Naruto and his assigned "teammates" seemed incapable of doing. They'd been arguing his office for hours, so long that Sarutobi opted to spare the ANBU overseeing them home for the day, if just to spare them from such a fate.

He briefly wondered if Kakashi had told them about his little "test" yet. But gathering from the smug look the jonin was sending his way, probably not.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, looking up from what ever erotic "book" he'd been reading and turned to regard the squabbling trio . "I told you guys before, part of being a ninja is working as a team. It wouldn't hurt to put that concept to good use, you know." Sarutobi sent him a glare. Of _course_ he would play that card. Bastard.

Sakura, being the intellectual genius that she is, was the first to pick up on it. More or less in the wrong way.

"But Sasuke and I have already established that we don't want Naruto on our team!" She insisted, proud of her deduction. "It's two against one so Naruto's out, right?"

To everyone's surprise, Sasuke was the first one to speak out against it. "Hell no. I'd much rather be stuck with the dobe than be shackled up with _you_." Sasuke snapped back viciously, and Sakura looked like she wanted to burst into tears.

Sarutobi frowned, blowing smoke from his pipe smoothly. He let his mind wander away from the troubles of adolescents, giving himself a moment of peace much of the same way that Kakashi seemed to be doing as the three ninja continued to argue incessantly.

And then he felt it.

It was subtle at first. A small pulse of energy, sending ripples throughout the room. The Hokage stiffened, looking to Kakashi for conformation who seemed to have picked up on it as well. The genin's squabble grew silent as the tremors became more intense, the mysterious energy now nearly tangible in the air.

Naruto's ears perked up as though sensing something the others couldn't. Which both Kakashi and Sarutobi knew that he very well could have, given his fox gene.

Precariously, the blond raised his eyes to stare at the ceiling as though he expected something to come crashing through it. And the next moment, something did.

The drywall collapsed first, followed by a series of wooden beams and roof shingles. Having been the first one to sense it, Naruto acted smartly for once, grabbing a hold of Sasuke and Sakura and all but throwing them behind the Hokage's desk where Kakashi stood perched. The office was immediately filled with the sounds of coughing and wheezing as the shinobi shielded themselves from the falling debris. As the dust from the drywall cleared, one could make out a figure covered in the wreckage of the Hokage's roof. A very...peculiar figure.

The man in front of them was beaten, bloody, bruised and nearly completely drained of chakra judging by the looks of him. His sleeveless arms were covered nearly entirely in intricate markings, save for his left forearm which appeared to be composed of some type of inhuman tissue. Which by far wasn't the most odd thing given that this man had wings. _Freaking wings._

They were enormous, composed of the same scales that marked his corrupted limb at the bone and a magnificent display of feathers below. In the light streaming in from the hole in the ceiling, one could see that they were a deep shade of blue, feathers and scales alike. They were bent at an awkward angle beneath matted hair that stretched below his shoulder blades. Oblivious to their staring, the mans eyes remained firmly clammed shut as though he were trapped in some sort of nightmare.

He looked...remarkably like a Uchiha, if you didn't count the wings and the unusual markings of course. All pale skin and dark hair, and brooding looks. Perhaps that was what drove Sasuke to be the first one to approach him. He looked briefly at Kakashi for conformation before going in to poke the mysterious new arrival in the shoulder. He immediately recoiled as though he'd been shocked even though the other man still hadn't moved at all.

Kakashi looked at him quizzically. "Is he dead?"

Sasuke just shook his head. "No, he's definitely alive." He stared down at the man with an unnamed emotion swirling in his eyes. Regaining his composure, Sasuke knelt down to prod him in the shoulder yet again. This time the man awoke immediately and before any of them had a chance to react, he was on his feet in an instant with a clawed hand pinning Sasuke firmly up against the wall.

Sasuke's knees began to tremble and all the color drained from his face upon meeting the mysterious man's eyes. Distressed by the sudden turn of events, Kakashi grabbed the man by the collar and tossed him to the other end of the room where he hit the wall with a thud.

"What the hell was that? How the hell did you get in here?" Kakashi demanded, maintaining a protective stance in from of Sasuke who seemed to be having some sort of unprecedented panic attack. "Who are you?"

The winged man pulled himself from the dent he'd made in the wall before lifting his eyes to meet the jonin's. Kakashi's blood instantly went cold at the sight of the Mangekyō Sharingan staring down at him. No wonder Sasuke was freaked out.

Holding his gaze for only a moment longer, the man seemed to come out of some sort of daze and his Sharigan faded away briefly, although his eyes remained a blood red.

"Please forgive me, I truly meant you no harm." The man's voice was deep and condescending, but his expression was one of regret. He held out his human hand towards Sasuke in a brief attempt at an apology. "You...you startled me is all." As the man spoke, he bent over, clutching his chest as he coughed up a fair amount of blood.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes in suspicion, forcing himself not to give in to any signs of weakness. "You never answered my question. Who are you?"

The mysterious man's eyes flicked back and forth as though trying to remember his own name. Or conjure up a fake one. Kakashi could never really tell the difference. After a moment he looked back up.

"My name is Indra. Indra Uchiha."


End file.
